The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-07-28
PROHIBITION IN KANSAS.

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A Tourist Parades the State Asking
Everybody if Prohibition
Prohibits.
A Chapter Of Facts to Challenge the At
tention of Tennesseans.
To THE CITIZEN.
OLATHE, KANSAS, July 81, 1887.
i arrived at Kansas City Tuesday
night, 10Th, and as we were not to
start to Denver till Friday morning
l concluded l would spend one of
the days on my hand in visiting
Kansas towns and see how prohibi-
ton prohibits in that much talked
of state. | have visited the towns
of Ottawa and Olathe, the former
with 5000 population and the latter
with $500. Olathe is nearest the
line, being only about 81 miles from
the Missouri line, and consequently
it is to be supposed the law would
be more difficult to enforce. l
would here state that | made con-
slant and minute inquiries all
through Missouri on. my way out
of everybody who knew as to the
operation of the law in Kansas.
Some were for and some against the
law, and many of them being resi-
dents of Kansas, but / met not a
single man who did not testify pos
itively that prohibition was sue
cess in Kansas. But l wanted to
walk Kansas soil and talk with
Kansas people of every social strata
and see for myself how it worked.
Immediately on arrival at Olathe !
called on the Hon. l. O. Pickering,
attorney at law, one of the best
lawyers and most prominent citi-
zens, and interviewed him as fol-
lows:
"When was prohibition put into
the constitution of Kansas, Mr.
Pickering?"
''In 1880 by majority of $685.
CATER the ten years trial, how
do you think the people are pleased
with it? Were the vote retaken to-
day would the amendment carry by
as large a majority, think your
The people are delighted with i,
and to-day it would carry by 3d.
900 majority, instead of less than
5000. Multitudes of citizens who
opposed it bitterly are now its
warmest supporters and admirers
and would vote for it. The people
accept it as the settled, fixed policy
of the state and even the defiance
with which it was at first attempted
to be met by some has died out anC
it's beneficial effects are too pateni
and undeniable to be cOntroyerteC
by even the most interested of the
opposition"
"HoW has it affected your popu-
lation, Mr.. Pickering?"
1--WE had $4,000 population il
1880. This was according to thu
| u. S. census which was taken b,
agents paid by the government &C
cording to the number of names re
ported, and they would be apt t.
| get all. Now we have 100000
gain of over 700,000-that is, GU
population has nearly doubled"
"You seem not to have lost mucl
population"
mo; only few saloon keeper
over whose departure we shed n,
tears"
"But what about your taxabl
wealth? Has there been a cores
ponding increase in that?"
"Our taxable wealth has increas
ed more rapidly than our population
1t has come nearer doubling itsel
than the population"
"Mr. Pickering. you will pardo
me if l ask, are you estimatin
these things or are your figures an
statistics and comparisons official?
"Strictly official, sir. The figure
| give you are from the official doc
uments and records"
"What effect, if any, has prohibit
ton had on business generally i
the slater"
"To that l will reply that busi
ness Of all kinds, except tipping
? has increased steadily and the pee
pie have increased in wealth"
"Of course, Mr.. Pickering, 20
do not claim that all this increase i
due to prohibition?
"Oh, no, not all of it. But l d
mean two things. !. That prohibit
ton has not in any way or degre
+ burt business; and, 2, that a meas
IRE Of this increased prosperity an
p business is most unquestiona bl
? due to prohibition. Ting wages {
the poor no longer 60 for liquor
. Vast sums wasted for drink ar
T saved. Immense capital previousl
. invested in the manufacture ant
f traffic which VIGOROUSLY pays yer
little to the labor which produces
and only debauches and impover
ishes those who consume it, is no,
q turned TO other channels"
, "W hat Of the loss u -egenge t
|, the state? Has this necessitate
any increase of taxation?"
Not enc cent, sir.'
> "Why not?"
! "a great saving results in dc
crease in crime and the consequen
cost Of prosecutions. On. the othe
hand, the taxable wealth has in
. creased"
r "You find then that prohibition
n not only prohibits, but pays its ow
e way--s thing liquor never did,
e dare say"
I "You are right, SIR
I "Mr. Pickering, what of the dru
t store trouble; has it made them a
into saloons?'
! "No, sir. At first we had som
i trouble on that line ewing to dt
D fectiye statute, but the legislator
e passed law what is known as th
1 Muney law which effectually settle
S that matter. We have no troubl
= whatever on that line"
Y Il understand that law and hav
r read it, but it has occurred TO N
:, that possibly large cities, if the
/ had a mind to, could give yo
O trouble thus: Suppose the liquC